COMICS TO FEAST ON: Week Of November 16th 2011

It’s another busy and bustlin’ week for comics. Keep your eyes peeled for all those new limited series, especially from Marvel, and try out some new books while you await the next big events. The way I see it, November is the perfect time to try out some books you wouldn’t normally read, get that holiday wish list ready boys and girls.

With the ever-increasing number of books coming out between the tie-ins, the
crossovers, and the new series, we’ve got to limit our lists for the week somehow. Rather than cramming so many previews down your throat that you barely breathe, we present you with the ten most anticipated books of the week. So feast your eyes on these! Whether you’ve been into comics since you were a young’un, or you’re new to the game, we’re here to help you decide which books to pick up. Read on for the skinny…

The Low Down:“Trout is the story of a 9-year-old boy and the monster sent to protect him. It centers on a virus created to eradicate the monster gene, and has the power to turn man to monster and monster to man. Under attack, the scientist who created this Final Solution injects it into his son in order to hide it. Now, everyone wants it and will do anything to get their hands on it.”

The Feast: Normally I tend to focus on the major releases, but it’s extremely important to support indie comic creators. Not only are their books great, but they also offer something completely different from the mainstream companies. Though very few previews have been released, Ben Magrid’s debut graphic novel, Trout, looks to evoke a certain sense of nostalgia for those monster stories we read as kids. Trout has the potential to be a seriously epic monster novel told through the eyes of an innocent child. I urge you to ask your shop to order you a copy, or pick one up yourself at Arcana’s website.

The Low Down:“Tim Truman returns to the Weird West! The industry legend teams with his son, writer Ben Truman, for a violent new tale of the supernatural! In the land of the lawless rode the soulless! Scout, hunter, raider, killer-for-hire: Kitchell Hawken has been many things-most of them bad. Scalped, tortured, and left for dead by the mysterious order called the Ring, Hawken returns, seeking vengeance…but surrounded by the ghosts of every person he’s ever killed! Are the phantoms real, or illusions from Hawken’s blood-soaked past?”

The Feast: One of the best gritty western creators, Tim Truman, collaborates with his son to bring us one of the nastiest anti-heroes yet. Truman knows his way around the dark Western world, and chances are he and his son work wonders together. Hawken has all the makings the be another phenomenal Western series.

The Low Down:“As Bruce digs deeper into the mystery of the recent owl murders, he soon finds himself face to face with a shocking enemy–an enemy the Wayne family has secretly been at war with for centuries. Be there for the first shots of the war for the soul of Gotham City.”

The Feast: It shouldn’t come as a surprise to find this book here. Snyder has done an incredible amount for Batman over the past year, and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. The owl murders bring in undertones of his Gates of Gotham mini-series a few months back, throwing Bruce into the dark past of the city he fights to protect. There’s really nothing else we could ask for in a Bat-story.

The Low Down:“The Hulk and Bruce Banner are now separate entities but still at odds with one another. The Hulk has been assigned to take Banner down…but Bruce isn’t going without a fight.”

The Feast: To be brutally honest I never really read any Hulk stories before this. I read the odd tie-in, and a few issues when I was younger, but nothing really sold me on the character…until now. Aaron’s writing is wonderful as always, and Silvestri’s art is sketchy but extraordinarily heroic. But, where this Hulk book stands out is the simple idea of separating Bruce Banner and Hulk. Bruce Banner, now more akin to Herbert West, has completely lost his mind and he’ll do anything in his power to regain a bond with the green giant.

The Low Down:“Ever since he died and became Deadman, Boston Brand has served the deity known as Rama Kushna, inhabiting bodies to complete missions that she dictates. Now, for the first time, Deadman may have a clue how he can gain some control over his “life.” But the cost may be the souls of the bodies he inhabits!”

The Feast: There’s been quite the drama going down with DCUP this past week as Jenkins and Chang find themselves off the book after this arc, with no future projects lined up for them at DC. This is quite the surprise given that the Deadman arc has been more than awesome. At least our favorite white-faced ghoul will still play a prominent role in Justice League Dark.

The Low Down:“The superstar team of writer Geoff Johns and artist Jim Lee continue to make history as they unleash the amazing Amazon, Wonder Woman, who joins the battle against a bizarre threat. And the not-yet World’s Greatest Heroes need all the help they can get!”

The Feast: The all-star team of Johns and Lee returns with another 40-pager. The pieces are slowly falling into place for the Justice League with Batman, Green Lantern, and Superman banding together for the first time. Each hero still has their guard up, not quite lending their trust to one another yet, but when shit hits the fan this issue, they won’t have any choice but to become the world’s first super hero squad.

The Low Down:“The Legends begin here! Presenting the first of five spotlight issues, each of which explore a self-contained story centering on one of Godzilla’s fearsome foes! In this tale, drawn and co-written by Godzilla superstar artist Matt Frank, Anguirus, the armadillo-esque perpetual underdog, goes toe-to-toe with one of the most devastating monsters of all time-Destroyah! It’s a classic tale of David vs. Goliath… monster style!”

The Feast: It’s Godzilla!! Monsters destroying people, town and worlds with epic supernatural powers, armies trying to fight them off, and citizens helplessly running for cover. What more could you ask for? Like I said, it’s a month to try out new books, and Godzilla is the perfect example.

The Low Down:“It’s a new beginning for haunt. After the defeat of The Apparition, Haunt has learned he has a purpose – the reason he was brought into existence… He just doesn’t know exactly what it is. Will he continue on that path or go his own way? And what could be the consequences of such rebellion? This issue will set the stage for the next decade of Haunt stories on the horizon.”

The Feast: It’s been a while since the previous issue of Haunt and sadly, oh so sadly, this will be Kirkman and Capullo’s final issue. Since the very first issue, Haunt has been a fan favorite series, with Capullo’s dynamic art style and Kirkman’s punchy script-work. Only time will tell what Image has in store for the series, but hopefully Kirkman goes out with a bang.

The Low Down:“A young ambitious runaway encounters a travelling salesman with sharp teeth and a hunger for the innocent.

The Feast:Severed is one of the most original horror comics out there today, yet it’s oddly archetypal at the same time. Equally paying tribute to classic horror movies and gothic literature with its unhurried narrative, Severed is as good as horror comics get these days. Futaki’s artwork is exemplary and could not possibly compliment the script any better; it’s a dark story that does a great job of dragging you right into the pages. No horror fan should miss this, an instant classic horror comic.

The Low Down:“SPIDER-ISLAND AFTERMATH Flash Thompson suffered a great loss during the Infestation, but in the wake of the outbreak, the body count may rise. The dust has settled, the outbreak is over, but the heartbreak has just begun.”

The Feast: Marvel just needs to give Remender full control of a major event. Just hand it all over to him, and it will be a hit. Seriously, I would buy every tie-in. Everything Remender has done has been novel, much better than many other writers who receive way more praise. Venom is as back and, dare I say it, better than ever before. Remender offers true insight into psychological effects of baring the symbiiote, and delivers an action packed secret agent story. Now that the incredibly disappointing Spider-Island is done (thank the gods) Venom should be on his way to exciting new adventures.